If you intend to be offended by the title, then you will be and maybe we can discuss the weather or something.
I am in absolute awe of Chris Hayes but his use of the soft racism equating ethnicity to race to attack the hard racism of John Roberts is like fingernails on a blackboard to me. It is akin to the Southern ladies using “nigra” in place of the awful word that showed they were more cultured than their menfolk.
Ethnicity is about culture.
Race has always been about biology, no matter how perverted it might have become.
So what is a reporter to do to make himself understood?
How about not mixing the two?
When Elizabeth Warren claimed American Indian ancestry, there was no reason to doubt her beyond her sketchy knowledge. Hard racist Scott Brown declared Warren was no American Indian because anyone could tell by just looking. In a pig’s eye.
But Elizabeth was not remotely an ethnic American Indian, whatever her ancestry. She seemed surprisingly ignorant of what that would mean – without intending any insult.
We will never sideline the ubiquitous racism in American society until we know the difference between biology and culture.
I bet, dear reader, I could explain it quite easily to Chris Hayes talking face to face but I may not be able to explain it to you.
Best, Terry